We saw probably the most amazing show on the planet at the Robot Restuarant (I won't spoil it for you.), ate at vending machine restuarants, slept in 5 star hotels and in cool tiny manga cafes. We got kimonos for pajamas, song karaoke where we made a couple of Japanese friends, shopped at the 100 yen shop, rode the most fun metro system around and saw the Tokyo Tower. We had the most amazing time of our lives for free!

Omo says that reducing what you spend at restaurants could have a dramatic effect on your finances. "I had a client, a single person, who spent almost $900 a month on food, and the majority of that was eating out. [By] working with this person, I was able to get them to reduce that number by almost 50 percent and put that difference in paying off debt." Plus, in recent years, restaurant prices have been consistently climbing from month to month, according to the Consumer Price Index.
as I have 3 small debits for under $150 each for medical & 2 that are for the court (MUNICIPAL) that are about $1000 in total. so with everything I have a debit of about $1500 total that is killing my credit. was wanting to get a $1000 fixed interest rate Secured credit card at about 5.99%-8.99%. & start paying off Debit, killing 2 birds with one stone. instead of just paying the debit with cash, use a low interest Secured credit card. paying about $200 month then leaving a low balance of $25 on card to continue to get credit once debits are paid in full.
Dispute any negative items on your credit report that aren't yours or are otherwise reported incorrectly. These could include late payments, charge-offs or collections errors that shouldn't be on your report. You can do this by requesting verification, and if the items cannot be verified, the credit bureaus have to remove them. If items older than seven years (10 years for bankruptcy) have not automatically been removed from your report, you can request that the credit bureaus delete them.
Although you may understand the concept of credit limits, few people take the time to examine their credit utilization—or the amount of debt owed vs. the total credit limit. An ideal credit score boasts a utilization ratio of 25 percent or less. If you have a $10,000 credit limit, you should never charge more than $2,500 at a time. The same goes for individual cards. For example, Margot has three credit cards with the following limits:
Once you’ve filled out the form and requested reports from all three bureaus, you’ll fill out some security questions and be directed into your report, one agency at a time. If the security questions trip you up, the website will lock you out of your report, but it will offer a phone number that you can call to get your credit report via mail. If you get locked out, request the report via mail.
The days of “the expert” were gone once and for all. Even critically important practices like lending borrowing and banking were performed “on the fly.” Waiting for anything became unheard of and as a direct result of the “life in a hurry philosophy” quality products and services found their way into that “hand basket” headed for that destination people don’t like to talk about at parties. Credit Repair was no exception – fast credit repair companies raked in huge upfront fees while others sold “fix your own credit” programs to quench that uptick in do-it-yourself clients. Consumer credit files and credit scores fell into that same basket with all of the other “misfit” results. More damage was done by amateur “credit-mechanics” rushing to collect upfront fees from clients who expected their FICO scores to bounce before the next mouse-click than may ever be known.
If you need money fast, a home equity loan might be a good option. A home equity loan can provide you with a lump sum of money in a matter of weeks; the borrowed amount can then be paid off on a monthly basis for a fixed rate. It can be especially helpful to use this type of loan to help consolidate your current debt. A home equity loan can combine debt from various lenders, such as different credit card companies, and place it into one convenient payment.

Wanting to maximize results with our credit repair service? maybe build credit? or simply looking for a credit card? You came to the right place! Easy Solutions can help you apply for a credit card online. We've made it easy and fast! Simply review the credit card offers below, click the one that interests you, review the terms and conditions, and apply!

Public Records – Negative information from public records can include bankruptcies, civil judgments or foreclosures. Bankruptcies can be on the report for seven to 10 years, but all other public records must be removed after seven years. If the public record on your report is older than is allowed, dispute the information with the credit bureau and send documentation to prove that the debt is too old and should no longer be on the report.
If you use your credit card at an ATM, it will be treated as a cash advance. Most credit cards charge an upfront cash advance fee, which is typically about 5%. There is usually a much higher “cash advance” interest rate, which is typically above 20%. And there is no grace period, so interest starts to accrue right away. A cash advance is expensive, so beware.
If you are juggling multiple credit card bills, you may benefit from the convenience of having one consolidated monthly payment. Consider all of the bills that the modern household pays (mortgage/rent, utilities, cell phone, cable, internet, etc.). Adding 5-10 monthly credit card bills can overwhelm your bill-pay. Multiple payments are due every week. Going on vacation or having a hectic few days can result in several late payments and hundreds of dollars in fees.

What's more, each time you apply for credit, the potential lender will check your score. Each time your credit is checked, other potential lenders worry about the additional debt that you may be taking on. Sometimes, the act of opening a new account, or even applying for one, can lower your score. Having lots of recent inquiries on your credit report dings your score temporarily. So don't apply for cards often, if you want to raise your score, and don’t constantly move your balance from card to card to get a special 0% APR. It will likely hurt your score more than it helps.

If you’re hesitant for your teen to open their own credit card, adding them as an authorized user on your credit card account may be the best option. You can easily monitor their spending through statements and online banking. While they piggyback off your credit, you can continue to benefit from the same perks your card offers and even earn rewards on their purchases — if you have a rewards card.
Credit repair can involve fixing your bad credit in any way, shape or form, but when most people use the term ‘credit repair’, they’re referring to the process of disputing errors on credit reports. You can go through this dispute process for free with each of the credit bureaus on your own. This involves filing a formal dispute with the credit bureau(s) in question either online or via snail mail.
Typically this is how these companies work: Instead of obtaining a new loan to pay off your credit cards, the debt management company tries to negotiate with the credit card companies to reduce your interest rates or otherwise lower your monthly payments. Each month, you make a single payment to the debt consolidation firm and it distributes a portion of your payment to each of your creditors. Usually, it also keeps a portion (or sometimes all) of your payment to cover its own fees.
Are you the type of credit-holder who likes to open multiple credit lines at the same time, like store credit cards during the holiday season? This type of financial behavior will impact the fourth factor used to calculate your credit score: new credit lines. With this category, it’s not so much about opening many new credit lines, it’s about how many new credit lines you are opening. In other words, you do NOT want to open 3 to 4 new credit cards at the same time – this will be counter productive to your credit score.
People typically consolidate credit card debt if they have debt on high-interest credit cards and are incurring high-interest charges. By consolidating credit card debt, they can potentially save a great deal of money on interest payments and get out of debt sooner than if they left their debt on high-interest credit cards since more of their payment will go toward their principal balance.
Debt management companies will often use marketing language that makes them sound like consolidation loans. Typically, a debt management company will ask you to start paying them instead of the credit card companies. These companies will hold the money in an escrow account and will not pay the credit card bills. As a result, your accounts will become delinquent. Your credit score will be negatively impacted. And collection calls will be initiated.
You may also be able to negotiate with creditors as part of a "goodwill adjustment." They may be willing to remove late payments that they've reported to the credit bureaus, especially if you have a history of on-time payments. While you're trying to fix your credit, don't neglect your current obligations. Whatever you do, be sure to pay all your bills on time so you don't accrue any more negative items on your report.
This offer edges out competitors with the longest 0% intro period and standout perks. The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express has increased value with an intro 0% for 15 Months on purchases and balance transfers, then 14.74%-25.74% Variable APR and a $0 balance transfer fee. (For transfers requested within 60 days of account opening.) In addition to the great balance transfer offer, you can earn rewards — 2x points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x), 1x points on other purchases.
Because MidSouth Community is a federal credit union, you need to be a member to qualify for this card. Membership is limited to people who work, live, worship, or attend school in the following Middle Georgia counties: Bibb, Baldwin, Crawford, Hancock, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington, and Wilkinson. If you qualify, you may be able to get a secured card with an APR as low as 10.90% Variable.
Focus on paying off your smallest debts first, suggests Kalen Omo, a financial coach in Tucson, Arizona, and owner of Kalen Omo Financial Coaching. This repayment strategy is known as the "debt snowball" method. "You list your debts from smallest to largest, paying minimums on everything except the smallest, and attacking that small debt with a vengeance. The goal is to get small wins along the way to motivate and give you hope to tackle the next one and the next one and so on. Once the smallest one is paid off, you take that payment to the next smallest debt, and the process acts like a snowball on the top of a hill. It picks up more snow as it goes downhill," Omo says.
Those with poor credit or no credit can obtain a low credit limit secured credit card (by putting up a security deposit). This is reported to the credit bureaus as a regular credit card and allows you to build a positive payment history quickly. Eventually, the credit card company (and others) will offer you a higher traditional credit limit without the security.
Throughout much of 2007 Fair Isaac Corp, credit card issuers, and consumer rights groups battled over the proposed elimination of authorized user credit score benefits. In the end Fair Isaac implemented a software update that has effectively blocked benefits of brokered accounts while allowing legitimate family member accounts to continue to reap the awesome score benefits of authorized card memberships. The bottom line is that if you are trying to rebuild your credit and have a sympathetic family member with perfect credit who is willing to add you to one of their good, low balance accounts you can see a dramatic score boost in about sixty days. This can be a great credit repair blessing.
If you are working with a credit counselor and think you’ll miss a payment, they can take proactive steps to mitigate consequences and create a plan to get you back on track. They can even negotiate to have additional late payments or late fees reduced or waived if you miss a payment. The key to making this work is being completely open and honest about your situation and speaking with your credit counselor as soon as you realize your payment will be late.
Checking your credit report on a periodic basis, at least annually, is a good way to catch any instances where you might be the target of identity theft – or the credit bureau has accidentally mixed up your history with someone of a similar (it happens more than you'd think). If you are concerned about others accessing your credit report without your permission, you can freeze it, which will limit who can access the information and under what circumstances. If you think you are a victim of identity theft, contact your local law enforcement authority immediately.
Having bad credit can tempt you to use your child’s credit. You might think you’d never do that but you never know what you’ll do when you’re desperate. Say you have to have electricity turned on, but your credit’s too bad. You could easily rationalize using your child’s credit to have the electricity turned on. Keep your own good credit and you won’t think about exploiting your child’s.
Even if the debt has passed the SOL in your state for suit (variable by state) and even the federal SOL for reporting (roughly 7 years from when the debt discharged) a collector may still pursue you for this money if you owe it. They will just never be able to collect it or report it if you don't allow them to, although they will certainly try and hope you are ignorant enough of the law that they get money from you.

If you want to learn how to repair credit fast, you need to learn how credit score works. There are five different factors that are utilized by credit scoring companies to discover that magical three digital number. What many people do not realize is that, through understanding these five factors, you not only have greater control over your credit score, but now you can begin utilizing credit to your advantage. Here are the five factors used to create someone’s credit score:

A major driver of increased scores is the decreased proportion of consumers with collection items on their credit report. A credit item that falls into collections will stay on a person’s credit report for seven years. People caught in the latter end of the real estate foreclosure crisis of 2006-2011 may still have a collections item on their report today.
Credit repair can take some time. The process of disputing reporting errors with the credit bureaus is almost always a drawn out business, often requiring repeated efforts. And the task of rebuilding credit can take several months before new accounts are reporting and seasoned enough to create the credit repair benefit desired. On the other hand, there are some actions you can take to accelerate your credit repair progress dramatically.

FICO, myFICO, Score Watch, The score lenders use, and The Score That Matters are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fair Isaac Corporation. Equifax Credit Report is a trademark of Equifax, Inc. and its affiliated companies. Many factors affect your FICO Scores and the interest rates you may receive. Fair Isaac is not a credit repair organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. Fair Isaac does not provide "credit repair" services or advice or assistance regarding "rebuilding" or "improving" your credit record, credit history or credit rating. FTC's website on credit.

If so, you've come to the right place. We know how challenging it is to resolve today's credit issues, therefore our goal is to ensure satisfaction of every client by being superior in the field of credit repair. Easy Solutions has a proven track record, with a strong portfolio of satisfied clients, and was voted Best Credit Repair Services in Brownsville and McAllen, Texas. Become our next success story. Sign up today!
Most people don’t realize that it’s not mandatory for creditors to submit information to the credit reporting agencies. Of course, credit cards, mortgage lenders, etc. always will, but some smaller accounts don’t bother because there’s really no upside for them. But that also presents an opportunity for the average consumer that needs a quick credit score increase, as you can ask a variety of creditors or lenders if they will start reporting. For instance, cell phone companies, utility providers, and even landlords can report your history of on-time and in-full payments to the credit bureaus. Once that positive track record hits your credit, your score will go up proportionally!
The Island Approach also gives you a built-in warning system for overspending. If you ever see finance charges on an account earmarked for everyday expenses, you’ll know you’re overspending. Separating everyday expenses from a balance that you’re carrying from month to month will help you save on finance charges, too. Interest charges are based on an account’s average daily balance, after all.
You might think it's a wise idea to use leftover cash, like a holiday bonus, to pay down your debt. But you also want to make sure you're setting aside extra money for things like an emergency savings account. "Don't put all extra funds toward debt. Doing so just leaves you in a place where you do not have any cash to cover an emergency. Having no cash for an emergency, say a car repair, means taking on more debt, perpetuating the problem," says Krista Cavalieri, a certified financial planner and owner of Evolve Capital, based in the Columbus, Ohio, area. Keep in mind, that additional money could be better spent on essential big-ticket items.

Assuming you are consistently paying on time (the No. 1 thing you can do to help your credit), take a look at your debt-to-available credit ratio. You want to get that to under 30% (under 10% is even better). Your credit mix is also a factor. If you have the income to make more than minimum payments, though, that is the best way to make an impact. You can read more here:

I recently took out a debt consolidation loan to pay off my credit cards and have just the one bill – however, the loan didn’t quite cover my credit cards… I also opened two new balance transfer 0% credit cards to help cut the interest of the leftover credit card debt… I still don’t quite have enough to wipe it all into 3 bills – plus, I have a previous personal loan I have 2 more years of paying… what would be the best way to distribute these funds, and balance transfers… so that I’m cutting my interest payments, upping my cashflow so that I’m not
Over one-third of your score depends on whether you pay your creditors on time. So, make sure you pay all your bills by their due dates, keep receipts, canceled checks or reference numbers to prove you did so. While utility and phone bills aren't normally figured into your credit score, they may appear on a credit report when they're delinquent, especially if the provider has sent your account to a collection agency and forwarded that information to the bureaus.

A report by FICO® showed that younger consumers can earn high credit scores with excellent credit behavior. 93% of consumers with credit scores between 750 and 799 who were under age 29 never had a late payment on their credit report. In contrast, 57% of the total population had at least one delinquency. This good credit group also used less of their available credit. They had an average revolving credit utilization ratio of 6%. The nation as a whole had a utilization ratio of 15%.39

Credit utilization is the second most important factor when calculating an individual’s credit score. Simply, credit utilization is how much credit you have used in comparison to how much lenders have provided you. For example, if you have three credit cards with a limit of $3,000 on each card, your total credit would be $9,000. Now, say after a weekend of house decorating, you spent $4,500 on your credit cards – your credit utilization would be 50%. Credit utilization is another facet in which credit holders have complete control over. By landing your utilization in the 25%-45% bracket, your credit score will be optimized.

You've probably seen advertisements for credit repair on television or heard them on the radio. Maybe even seen credit repair signs on the side of the road. You don't have to hire a professional to fix your credit. The truth is, there is nothing a credit repair company can do to improve your credit that you can’t do for yourself. Save some money and the hassle of finding a reputable company and repair your credit yourself. The next steps will show you how.

A quick Google search yielded this terms and conditions sheet, which may be slightly different than the one you’d receive if you applied for a card. According to the one we found, Credit One charges an annual membership fee from $0 to $99. Credit line minimums are between $300 and $500. So you could be paying $99 for a $300 credit limit. APR is relatively standard, but on the high side, with variable 19.15% to 25.24%. Given the high annual fees, we recommend saving your money and using a secured card with no annual fee to begin rebuilding your credit score.
Our last tip for fast credit repair that we are going to talk about is about removing any financial dependencies with individuals with poor credit. If you are currently tied by a car loan, mortgage, credit card, or any other line of credit with an individual that has poor credit, this can most certainly impact your credit score. On top of this, if you are planning on co-signing or being a guarantor for an individual, both will impair your credit score as well. It has been proven by financial experts and gurus that, through cutting any bad financial connections with other people, it can be one of the fastest ways of credit repair. We do advise to make this decision carefully as it can easily cause turmoil between two people.
Secured cards are a great way to build or improve credit. When you open a secured card, you submit a security deposit that typically becomes your credit limit. This deposit acts as collateral if you default on your account, but you can get it back if you close your account after paying off your balance. As long as you use a secured card responsibly — for example, make on-time payments and use little of your available credit — you may see improvements in your credit score. Unfortunately, in addition to the upfront deposit, this credit-building tool can have extra costs, like an annual fee.
If you’re not disciplined enough to create a budget and stick to it, to work out a repayment plan with your creditors, or to keep track of your mounting bills, you might consider contacting a credit counseling organization. Many are nonprofit and work with you to solve your financial problems. But remember that “nonprofit” status doesn’t guarantee free, affordable, or even legitimate services. In fact, some credit counseling organizations — even some that claim nonprofit status — may charge high fees or hide their fees by pressuring people to make “voluntary” contributions that only cause more debt.
That's very commendable of you to handle your daughter's financial problems that way. I used to be employed as a loan officer in finance, but things have changed so much in the last 20-30 years. I accomplished something very similar to her situation, but I started in the fair range on scoring. I raised mine 204 points in less than 9 months. Thanks for passing along this great advice and experience.
While it seems to make sense to pay off all of your old delinquent debts, this strategy can sometimes backfire and drop your score further. If a credit account is simply overdue and shows as outstanding debt, paying it off will improve your score – though it won't eradicate the record of late payments. But if you have an old debt on your credit report that has been charged off by the lender – meaning that they do not expect further payments – setting up a new payment plan can re-activate the debt and make it appear to be more current than it actually is. This is often the case with debt that has been turned over to a collection agency. The agency may register the debt with credit bureaus as new rather than reporting it against the written-off debt.

It may not make sense but that is the way it’s factored into your credit score, which is the end result here. Cutting up the card to avoid using it may help if it’s a temptation. The scores are comprised of debt to income ratio, but also credit worthiness and longevity, among many other things. If you have $100k in open to buy credit, and only $5k in debt, that helps your score. Also, it shows that lenders have extended this amount of credit to you. i.e. Creditworthiness. Additionally, your score factors in length of credit. They want to see how long you’ve kept that credit, expecting a good relationship with the lender and you’ve shown responsibility. Old schoolers used to close the accts and be done with it. This is the new way of the credit score. It is an education in itself.

Applying for and opening up a new credit card increases your overall credit limit compared to the amount you have used. This, too, can result in a nice credit score bump the following month, but only works if you have good credit. One drawback: You may initially receive a 10 to 25-point new credit score ding which will readjust after a few months of responsible credit behavior.

All U.S. consumers are entitled to see their credit reports. Typically, copies are requested from the “big three” credit reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian). After obtaining a copy, it’s best to review the report. If you need to raise your credit score in 30 days, note any and all errors in the report. If errors are discovered, work to get them corrected as quickly as possible. A creditor may have erroneously reported late payments, or there may be outdated information on the report, like a defaulted loan that has since been paid in full.*

Credit repair can involve fixing your bad credit in any way, shape or form, but when most people use the term ‘credit repair’, they’re referring to the process of disputing errors on credit reports. You can go through this dispute process for free with each of the credit bureaus on your own. This involves filing a formal dispute with the credit bureau(s) in question either online or via snail mail.

Loan repayment is expected to be funded by your income, so lenders want to verify your ability to hold a job. Some will dig deeper into your employment history than others. In many cases, a steady employment history will be enough, but some financial institutions prefer applicants who have worked for the same company for several years or at least have a long track record in their current industry.

Not only does a Chapter 13 filing require a long-term commitment and an understanding of the impact on your credit, but it also carries an expense, as the filer must pay the court, the trustee and their attorney. Before you consider attempting a Chapter 13 without an attorney, note that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court instruction packet states that it is “… extremely difficult to succeed in a Chapter 11, 12 or 13 case without an attorney.”

We recently completed a debt consolidation loan with you and were so impressed on how quickly and less painful it was to apply and get an approval. I have been in the banking industry for 30 years so I am well educated on the hoops some institutions make you jump through to get a loan. We were so impressed that we decided to upgrade to a new car, so I applied this morning for a used vehicle loan. Incredibly, five hours later I received an email; you had two simple questions and didn't need further income documentation since you already had it on file. About 15 minutes after that call, I received the approved loan email; that's just incredible.
You've probably seen advertisements for credit repair on television or heard them on the radio. Maybe even seen credit repair signs on the side of the road. You don't have to hire a professional to fix your credit. The truth is, there is nothing a credit repair company can do to improve your credit that you can’t do for yourself. Save some money and the hassle of finding a reputable company and repair your credit yourself. The next steps will show you how.
Start online credit counseling to see if you qualify for our debt consolidation alternative. During your free counseling session, we’ll help you identify the root cause of your financial problems. We’ll also help you develop a budget that minimizes your monthly expenses. Finally, based on your income, assets and budgets, we’ll recommend a debt relief solution tailored to your personal situation. This solution may be the debt management plan which consolidates your monthly payments. Other solutions include bankruptcy and referrals to other nonprofit organizations who can help you save money and eliminate debt. If you’d prefer to speak with a live counselor, call the number on the right.

I know this post is nearly three years old but I was desperately trying to figure out how to raise my credit score a little faster than usual. I would just like to say that everything he posted I tried and it worked for me. I have raised my score 50 points in just one month! I still have a long way to go, but now that I know what to do, I see it only going up from here.

There’s a possibility that a third-party debt collector will sue you if you don’t agree to make payments on your debt, regardless of whether you actually owe the money. If you do receive a court summons, do not ignore it, Rheingold said. Be sure to show up on your appointed date, with an attorney if you can, to make sure that the court doesn’t rubber-stamp a judgment against you.

When you work with a bank or other for-profit debt consolidation firm, you will pay fees in the form of interest and loan origination charges to secure and maintain a debt consolidation loan. If you work with a nonprofit organization, like InCharge Debt Solutions, you will pay a set-up fee (on average, $40) and a monthly fee to maintain it (average $25). It’s important when you consider debt relief solutions that you compare interest rates and fees. Before pursuing any credit card consolidation program, ask your the following questions:

Thrivent: Partnered with Thrivent Federal Credit Union, Thrivent Student Loan Resources offers variable rates starting at 4.13% APR and fixed rates starting at 3.99% APR. It is important to note that in order to qualify for refinancing through Thrivent, you must be a member of the Thrivent Federal Credit Union. If not already a member, borrowers can apply for membership during the student refinance application process.
Do the math on your credit cards and their interest rates, and figure out how long it would take you to pay them all off at your current payment rate. Compare that to the length of the consolidation loan you're looking at taking out. Your average 5 year (60 mo) debt consolidation loan, even at a lower interest rate than your credit card, may cost more over the long haul than if you just paid your cards down faster. Photo by 401(k) 2012.

The intro offers, coupled with the rewards program make The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express the frontrunner among balance transfer cards, outpacing competitors. This card presents cardholders with the unique opportunity to transfer a balance and make a large purchase during the intro period, all while earning rewards on new purchases. To qualify for this card, you need Excellent/Good credit.

Dispute any negative items on your credit report that aren't yours or are otherwise reported incorrectly. These could include late payments, charge-offs or collections errors that shouldn't be on your report. You can do this by requesting verification, and if the items cannot be verified, the credit bureaus have to remove them. If items older than seven years (10 years for bankruptcy) have not automatically been removed from your report, you can request that the credit bureaus delete them.

Beyond that is creditor information, which makes up most of your reports. This includes different accounts you have (loans, credit cards, etc.), their status (open/closed, in collections), balances, credit limits and payment details. This may also include dates of missed payments or late payments, or when the accounts were sent to collections. From these details, your credit scores will be formed.